Lyr Req: I Passed by a Stream (Halifax Three)

Subject: Lyr Req: I Passed By A Stream
From: BDenz
Date: 20 May 08 - 10:46 PM

I've been collecting my old vinyl on CD and discovered a group called The Halifax Three (the original home of Denny Doherty) (FWIW, RediscoverMusic.com is a VERY bad place for a pocketbook), and they did this song which sounds older and which I cannot find. I suspect there are more verses than they did. It's a sweet song.

It starts off:

I passed by a stream one day as the rain it fell
cool and refreshing and fine as could be.
And there swam a maid so lovely and fair, my boys,
gliding through waters, so pretty was she.

Subject: Lyr Add: I PASSED BY A STREAM (Richard Byrne)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 May 08 - 02:47 AM

Here's what I hear on the CD:

I Passed By a Stream
(Richard Byrne)

I passed by a stream one day as the rain it fell
Cool and refreshing and fine as could be;
And there swam a maid so lovely and fair, my boys,
Gliding through waters, so pretty was she.

I shouted to her, "Fair maid, may I have your hand?"
Sweetly she answered, "Oh, no, sir," said she;
"I'm only a lass, just fresh from my teens,
And too tender and young, sir, for you to wed me."

I asked her to name all the things that she fancied,
Promised I'd give them if she would have me;
But her answer was, "No, sir, the things that you promise
Would leave no desire, and that should not be."

"In that case, fair maid, let us wed on the morrow;
You see, pretty maiden, a lie I have told.
All the things that I promised, I never could give you;
A man with no home very seldom has gold.
A man with no home very seldom has gold."

transcribed by ear from The Complete Halifax Three CD (Collector's Choice Music)

I think it's probably an original composition, although it sounds more-or-less like a folk song. Members of the Halifax Three were Denny Doherty, Patrick LaCroix and Richard Byrne.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Passed By A Stream (Halifax Three)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 May 08 - 03:04 AM

Here's a brief review of the CD from a review from All-Music Guide:

The Halifax Three's debut LP is a very typical representation of the clean-cut face of the folk revival circa 1963, with a polite, careful execution, and vocal harmonies that are both impeccably sung but a little sterile. Much of the material was either written by the group's Richard Byrne, or arranged and adapted by Byrne from traditional tunes. Without the presence of Denny Doherty, it's doubtful that there would be any collector interest in this record, though it does have its share of reasonably attractive harmonized folk ballads, such as "Fare-Thee-Well," "All My Trials," and Oscar Brand's "When I First Came to This Land." As with similar attempts by many folk revival groups at injecting some comic relief into the proceedings, however, the broad humor of "Come Down the Mountain Katie Daly" is gallingly dated. The Halifax Three has been combined with the group's second and final album, San Francisco Bay Blues, on the single-disc compilation The Complete Halifax Three, which also includes the non-LP single "All the Good Times" as a bonus track. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide [-]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Passed By A Stream (Halifax Three)
From: BDenz
Date: 28 May 08 - 11:09 PM

Thanks, Joe. I've been singing along all day. Pretty cool when you can just put the thing on auto-repeat.

"Polite, careful execution ..." They're Canadians. What does anyone expect? and Richie's right. Without Denny, I wouldn't have bought it.

As to the song, it's missing a last verse. It's folk music -- maybe I'll write one. Wonder if Richard Byrne is still alive -- off to hunt the web.

P.S., I shouldn't be, but I'm amazed you have a copy! ;)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Passed By A Stream (Halifax Three)
From: BDenz
Date: 28 May 08 - 11:27 PM

Wow. Richard Byrne died the same month Denny did.

Barb